Every year across the country New Years Eve marks the last party of the old year and for many a huge partying dry spell until the 4th of July. Not here in New Orleans. The day after New Years in New Orleans is when the city once again comes alive with the buzz of Mardi Gras. And with Mardi Gras comes tourists.
There are all sorts of magazines and guides that will tell you the best spots for food and drink while you're visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras. But what they won't be telling you is the best beercentric spots. That's where I come in. The following list is my top five recommendations of beer places to go while visiting during Mardi Gras or anytime for that matter!
1) Avenue Pub- 1732 Saint Charles Avenue-
This former dive bar turned New Orleans craft beer mecca is a must while visiting New Orleans. With 31 rotating taps and a bottle selection that'll make most bars jealous it's a can't miss. They even serve their beers in the proper glassware. During Mardi Gras season however expect the beer selection to be a bit more suited for parades and also expect plastic cups. And when I say beer that's suited for parades I don't mean Bud, Miller or Coors I'm talking Stone, Anchor, etc. They may have some glassware during the slower times but just be prepared. And of course I can't forget the food. J'anitas on the Avenue, located inside the pub, has the best pub grub in town and it ain't your average pub grub. Name another bar where you're gonna get a duck sandwich(The St Chuck Duck)! And don't forget to order some Buddha's Temptation!
2) Steins Deli- 2207 Magazine St- This Jewish/Italian style deli located at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Magazine St isn't your average New Orleans sandwich shop. If you are looking for a poboy go somewhere else. Why do I have this on a beercentric list? Because the owner, Dan Stein, is considered by many to be the craft beer Godfather of New Orleans. This little deli also has the best bottle selection in the city. You can't drink on premise but trust me when I tell you he is the best.
3) NOLA Brewing- 3001 Tchoupitoulas St. New Orleans newest and only brewery makes some of the best beers in Louisiana and a visit to New Orleans isn't complete without a brewery tour. I would recommend calling ahead since Mardi Gras season can be quite busy for breweries! 504-613-7727. Their Hopitoulas IPA will blow your mind!
4) The Bulldog- 3236 Magazine St This uptown beer bar started in 1994 and is one of the first true beer bars in New Orleans. With 50 beers on tap and 100 bottled beers it will definitely have something to please your palate. One of the cool things here is that you can head across the street to Big Fisherman Seafood pick up a sack of crawfish and bring it back to the bar and enjoy the tasty mudbugs with your favorite brew. And don't forget to check out the beer tap fountain outside!
5) d.b.a- 618 Frenchman St- This beer bar located in the heart of the Marginy has a decent beer selection but has great live music. Nothing beats listening to some great live tunes while sipping on a good brew.
Well that's my top 5. If anyone has any other suggesstions please jump on here and comment! If you're visiting New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year please be careful and have an incredible time!
Cheers!
The Beer Buddha
2 comments:
Are those considered beer goggles? And I might add, PBR is better from the bottle, so I hear.
Update from Avenue Pub regarding Mardi Gras beer selection:
Below you will find the almost set in stone Mardi Gras draft list. There are no Heffes on the list and only a couple high ABV beers. They require special glassware and are too difficult to pour during our high volume times. Red Seal and Schneider Aventinus are out of stock on the distributor level when our current stock runs out they I will not be able to buy them again until mid February. The concentration is on high quality session beers. This draft list will start taking effect as so a some of our high end European beers kick,
We serve everything in plastic for Mardi Gras. This year, for the first time we are going to keep a small supply of glasses that can only be used during slow periods. If you want a glass during these slower times please ask the bartender. We do leave this up to the bartenders discretion. All glass will be pulled 2 hours prior to a parade. Prices do go up during mardi gras but we wont rape rob and pillage you like the French Quarter or even many of the other bars on the parade route.
I hope you choose to join us at some point during Mardi Gras. We really are the best place in the city to watch parades. We get a nice mix of locals, tourists, families and singles. The line for the bathrooms get pretty long but hey..its better than a Port a Let. The Balcony is booked for all parades other than the first friday 5th. That Friday will be open to everyone.
Abita Amber
Arrogant Bastard
Anchor Porter
Bear Republic Racer 5
Brooklyn Lager
Brother Thelonius
Blanc de Chambly
Ephimere
Flying Dog Raging Bitch
Harpoon IPA
Harpoon Leviathan
Heiner Brau Strawberry
Kostricker Black Bohemian Lager
Guinness or Boddingtons on Nitro
Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan
Lazy Magnolia Stout on co2
Mahrs Ungespundet Hefetraube( while it lasts)
NOLA Hopitoulas
NOLA Blonde
NOLA Brown
Rogue Orange Honey wheat
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Sierra Nevada Glissade
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
Stone Ruination
Stone Double Bastard (while it lasts)
Stone Pale Ale
Stone Levitation
various macros
Not bad at all!!!
Cheers!
BB
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